How to Smoke a Full Salmon Filet [250F Recipe]

A few months ago I posted how to smoke a small frozen salmon filet that you can purchase at most stores.  Make no mistake, there is nothing wrong with that.  But sometimes you just want the real thing.

The Big Kahuna.  A full, fresh salmon filet.

They really are beautiful aren’t they?  Makes a great presentation, and one filet feeds a large party.

Prepare the Salmon

To get this salmon ready for the smoker I used a thin teriyaki sauce that spread easily across this great fish.  Then, I sprinkled with Sea Salt…you know…because it’s from the sea.  Cracked a bit of fresh pepper, sprinkled with my All Purpose Rub, and last but never least – brown sugar.  Obviously.

I used my smoker for this one because it was a giant and made my life much easier.  If you’re using a grill, you may have to (sadly) cut it in half for it to fit.

Smoke the Salmon

Set your smoker to 250F and use a light flavored wood like maple or apple for smoke.  Alder is a traditional wood flavor for smoked fish and is a good choice as well if you can find it.

Avoid using woods like hickory or pecan that would overwhelm the fish.

How Long to Smoke Salmon at 250F?

You should expect to smoke the salmon for 45 minutes to an hour at 250F.  The exact time is going to depending upon the thickness of the filet as well as how cold it was when it went on the smoker.

Don’t be surprised if it takes an hour to cook.  Mine did – but as you can see, it takes up my entire full-sized cutting board.  That’s a lot of fish to cook.

You know the salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.  The internal temperature of the fish should be at least 145F at this point.

Give This Recipe a Try!

You might as well challenge yourself and try this the next time you have company.  It’s so healthy and so tasty.  Look for it to be on sale during the summer at your local meat market or at a Sam’s Club.  Be sure to check out our full index of Smoked Salmon Recipes for more ideas.

Beautiful, isn’t it?

Is there another type of fish you would like to see me prepare?  Leave a comment or post it to our Facebook wall.  I’ll never know unless you tell me!

Smoked Full Salmon Filet

A salmon filet, seasoned with teriyaki, dry rub and brown sugar, is smoked at 250F for 45-60 minutes until it flakes apart easily.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Calories 275 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 full fresh salmon filet
• Terriyaki sauce
• All Purpose Rub
• Salt & Pepper
• Dark Brown Sugar

Instructions

 

• Apply a thin coat of teriyaki across the fish.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of all purpose rub.
• Top with brown sugar.
• Smoke at 250 using fruit wood for 45 - 60 minutes until fish flakes apart easily with fork. (145F Internal Temperature)

Notes

Make sure all of the pin bones have been removed from the salmon before it goes onto the smoker.

Pin bones remain hidden in the flesh after the fish is filleted. Pin bones can be hard to see so the best way to find them is by touch.

Gently run your fingertips across the filet and feel for any hard/sharp bumps. If you find a pin bone then it can be easily pulled out with a pair of needle nosed pliers.

Keyword Smoked Salmon Filet